FR Doc E7-1743
[Federal Register: February 2, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 22)]
[Notices]
[Page 5031-5036]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02fe07-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information;
Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRC); Notice Inviting
Applications for a New PIRC Award for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 To Serve
Guam
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.310A.
Dates: Applications Available: February 2, 2007.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: March 2, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 30, 2007.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 29, 2007.
Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit organizations, or consortia of
nonprofit organizations and local educational agencies (LEAs),
proposing a PIRC project to provide services only in Guam. The
Secretary seeks to have a PIRC project to assist parents in each State.
We are limiting eligible applicants to organizations that would provide
services in Guam because no applicant from the FY 2006 competition that
proposed to provide services in Guam proposed a project of sufficient
quality to demonstrate that it was likely to succeed in meeting the
purposes of the PIRC program. Except for the State of Delaware and
Guam, at least one application was funded in each of the other States
from the FY 2006 PIRC competition. Note that for the purposes of this
notice, the term ``State'' includes Guam. A notice inviting
applications to provide PIRC services in the State of Delaware is
published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Faith-based and community organizations are eligible to apply for
funding provided that they are nonprofit organizations, as defined
elsewhere in this notice.
For an application submitted by a consortium that includes a
nonprofit organization and one or more LEAs, the nonprofit organization
must serve as the applicant and fiscal agent for the consortium. State
and local governments, including LEAs, intermediate school districts,
and schools, are not eligible to submit an application on behalf of a
consortium or serve as the fiscal agent of a PIRC grant.
Applications proposing to implement PIRC projects in other States
and applications proposing PIRC projects to provide services in more
than one State (even if an application includes services in Guam) will
not be considered.
Note: We define the term nonprofit organization for purposes of
the PIRC program as an organization that--
(1) Is owned and operated by one or more corporations or
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully
benefit, any private shareholder or entity, as set forth in 34 CFR
part 77; and
(2) Represents the interests of parents of pre-school and
school-age children (including parents who are educationally or
economically disadvantaged), or is governed by a board of directors
whose membership includes such parents.
Estimated Available Funds: $500,000 per year. The Administration's
budget request for FY 2007 does not include funds for this program.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to four years.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the PIRC program is to help
implement successful and effective parental involvement policies,
programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student academic
achievement and strengthen partnerships among parents, teachers,
principals, administrators, and other school personnel in meeting the
educational needs of children.
The PIRC program supports school-based and school-linked parental
information and resource centers that--
(1) Help implement effective parental involvement policies,
programs, and activities that will improve children's academic
achievement;
(2) Develop and strengthen partnerships among parents (including
parents of children from birth through age five), teachers, principals,
administrators, and other school personnel in meeting the educational
needs of children;
(3) Develop and strengthen the relationship between parents and
their children's school;
(4) Further the developmental progress of children assisted under
the program;
(5) Coordinate activities funded under the program with parental
involvement initiatives funded under section 1118 and other provisions
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended
(ESEA); and
(6) Provide a comprehensive approach to improving student learning,
through coordination and integration of Federal, State, and local
services and programs.
The Secretary reminds all applicants that section 5563(b) of the
ESEA, as amended, requires each PIRC grantee to meet several specific
conditions. The Secretary strongly encourages all applicants to review
each of these conditions carefully to ensure that their applications
appropriately address each of the areas addressed by section 5563(b).
Priorities: We have established five competitive preference
priorities that are explained in the following paragraphs. One
competitive preference priority is from the regulations in 34 CFR
75.225, another competitive preference priority is from the statute for
this program, and the other three competitive preference priorities are
from the notice of final priorities and eligibility requirements (NFP)
for this program, published in the March 27, 2006 issue of the Federal
Register (71 FR 15308).
[[Page 5032]]
Competitive Preference Priorities: The competitive preference
priorities are explained in the following paragraphs.
Competitive Preference Priority 1--Novice Applicants.
In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), this priority is from
the regulations in 34 CFR 75.225. For FY 2007 this priority is a
competitive preference priority. We give 5 additional points to each
novice applicant. These points will be in addition to any points the
applicant earns under the selection criteria and other competitive
preference priorities.
For the purposes of this grant competition a novice applicant is--
(1) An applicant for a grant from the Department that--
(a) Has never received a grant or subgrant under the program from
which it seeks funding;
(b) Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in
accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, that received a grant under the
program from which it seeks funding; and
(c) Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal
Government in the five years before the deadline date for applications
under the program.
(2) In the case of a group application submitted in accordance with
34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129, a group that includes only parties that
meet the requirements of paragraphs (1)(a) through (c) of this
priority.
For the purposes of paragraph (c) of this priority, a grant is
active until the end of the grant's project or funding period,
including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee's
authority to obligate funds.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Early Childhood Parent
Education.
In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from
section 5563(b)(10) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7273b). For FY 2007 this
priority is a competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i) we award up to an additional 10 points to an
application, depending on how well the application meets this priority.
This priority is:
This priority supports applications that would implement effective
plans to use at least 30 percent of the funds received in each fiscal
year to establish, expand, or operate Parents as Teachers programs,
Home Instruction for Pre-school Youngsters programs, or other early
childhood parent education programs.
Competitive Preference Priorities 3, 4, and 5: These priorities are
from the NFP for this program, published in the March 27, 2006 issue of
the Federal Register (71 FR 15308). Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we
award up to an additional 35 points to an application, depending on how
well the application meets these priorities. The maximum possible
points for each priority are indicated in parentheses following the
name of the competitive preference priority.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 3--Statewide Impact of PIRC
Services (15 points).
This priority supports applications that would implement broad
statewide strategies to provide parents from across the State,
particularly parents who are educationally or economically
disadvantaged, with services that enhance their ability to participate
effectively in their child's education, including their ability to
communicate effectively with public school personnel in the school that
their child attends.
Competitive Preference Priority 4--Understanding State and Local
Report Cards and Opportunities for Public School Choice and
Supplemental Educational Services (10 points).
This priority supports applications that would implement activities
that effectively assist parents in understanding State and local report
cards under Title I of the ESEA and, in cases where their child attends
a school identified as in need of improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring under Title I, in understanding their options for public
school choice or supplemental educational services.
Competitive Preference Priority 5--Technical Assistance in the
Implementation of Local Educational Agency and School Parental
Involvement Policy under Section 1118 of the ESEA (10 points).
This priority supports applications that would provide technical
assistance in the implementation of LEA and school parental involvement
policies under Title I of the ESEA in order to improve student academic
achievement and school performance.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7273 et seq.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 76, 77, 79,
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final priorities
and eligibility requirements for this program, published in the March
27, 2006 issue of the Federal Register (71 FR 15308).
Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of
higher education only.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $500,000 per year. The Administration's
budget request for FY 2007 does not include funds for this program.
However, we are inviting applications to allow enough time to complete
the grant process if Congress appropriates funds for this program.
Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to four years.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit organizations, or consortia of
nonprofit organizations and LEAs, proposing a PIRC project to provide
services only in Guam. The Secretary seeks to have a PIRC project to
assist parents in each State. We are limiting eligible applicants to
organizations that would provide services in Guam because no applicant
from the FY 2006 competition that proposed to provide services in Guam
proposed a project of sufficient quality to demonstrate that it was
likely to succeed in meeting the purposes of the PIRC program. Except
for the State of Delaware and Guam, at least one application was funded
in each of the other States from the FY 2006 PIRC competition. Note
that for the purposes of this notice, the term ``State'' includes Guam.
A notice inviting applications to provide services in the State of
Delaware is published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Faith-based and community organizations are eligible to apply for
funding provided that they are nonprofit organizations, as defined
elsewhere in this notice.
For an application submitted by a consortium that includes a
nonprofit organization and one or more LEAs, the nonprofit organization
must serve as the applicant and fiscal agent for the consortium. State
and local governments, including LEAs, intermediate school districts,
and schools, are not eligible to submit an application on behalf of a
consortium or serve as the fiscal agent of a PIRC grant.
Applications proposing to implement PIRC projects in other States
and applications proposing PIRC projects to serve more than one State
(even if an application includes services to Guam) will not be
considered.
Note: We define the term nonprofit organization for purposes of
the PIRC program as an organization that--
(1) Is owned and operated by one or more corporations or
associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully
benefit, any private shareholder or entity, as set forth in 34 CFR
part 77; and
[[Page 5033]]
(2) Represents the interests of parents of pre-school and
school-age children (including parents who are educationally or
economically disadvantaged), or is governed by a board of directors
whose membership includes such parents.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Section 5565(a) of the ESEA requires
that, after the first fiscal year of an award, a portion of the
services provided by the organization or consortium must be supported
through non-Federal contributions, either in cash or in kind.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Fatimah Dozier, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4W236, FB6,
Washington, DC 20202-5970. Telephone: (202) 260-8757 or by e-mail:
fatimah.dozier@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact
person listed in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to develop a
more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has a
better understanding of the number of entities that intend to apply for
funding under this competition. Therefore, the Secretary strongly
encourages each potential applicant to notify the Department by sending
a short e-mail message indicating the applicant's intent to submit an
application for funding. The e-mail need not include information
regarding the content of the proposed application, only the applicant's
intent to submit it. This e-mail notification should be sent to Fatimah
Dozier at fatimah.dozier@ed.gov.
Applicants that fail to provide this e-mail notification may still
apply for funding. Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of
the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection
criteria and competitive preference priorities that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. The Secretary strongly encourages applicants
to limit Part III to the equivalent of no more than 50 pages, using the
following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'' on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
The suggested page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet;
Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of
support. However, you must include all of the application narrative in
Part III.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: February 2, 2007.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: March 2, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 30, 2007.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer
to section IV. 6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connections with the application process should
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
We do not consider an application that does not address the
application requirements, selection criteria, and other required
information outlined in the application package.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 29, 2007.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this
competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Other Submission Requirements. Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications. Applications for grants
under the PIRC program, CFDA Number 84.310A must be submitted
electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at http://www.Grants.gov.
Through this site, you will be able to download a copy
of the application package, complete it offline, and then upload and
submit your application. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a
grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the PIRC
program at http://www.Grants.gov You must search for the downloadable
application package for this program or competition by the CFDA number.
Do not include the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g.,
search for 84.310, not 84.310A).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and
must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than
4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not consider your
application if it is date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system
later than 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline
date. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify
you if we are rejecting your application because it was date and time
stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30 p.m.,
[[Page 5034]]
Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov at http://e-Grants.ed.gov/help/GrantsgovSubmissionProcedures.pdf
.
To submit your application via Grants.gov, you must
complete all steps in the Grants.gov registration process (see http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp
). These steps include (1)
registering your organization, a multi-part process that includes
registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR); (2)
registering yourself as an Authorized Organization Representative
(AOR); and (3) getting authorized as an AOR by your organization.
Details on these steps are outlined in the Grants.gov 3-Step
Registration Guide (see http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf
). You also must provide on your
application the same D-U-N-S Number used with this registration. Please
note that the registration process may take five or more business days
to complete, and you must have completed all registration steps to
allow you to submit successfully an application via Grants.gov. In
addition you will need to update your CCR registration on an annual
basis. This may take three or more business days to complete.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your
application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications. Please note that two of these forms--the SF 424 and the
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424--have
replaced the ED 424 (Application for Federal Education Assistance).
You must attach any narrative sections of your application as files
in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document)
format. If you upload a file type other than the three file types
specified in this paragraph or submit a password-protected file, we
will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
With the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a Grants.gov Support
Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date, please contact the person listed
elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT and
provide an explanation of the technical problem you experienced with
Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. We will
accept your application if we can confirm that a technical problem
occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that problem affected your
ability to submit your application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time,
on the application deadline date. The Department will contact you after
a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Steven L. Brockhouse,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4W229,
FB6, Washington, DC 20202-5970. FAX: (202) 205-5630.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the
[[Page 5035]]
Department at the applicable following address:
By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.310A), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260 or
By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education,
Application Control Center, Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number
84.310A), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.
Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing
consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your
local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.310A), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail
or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the
Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix
letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your
application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification
of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this
notification within 15 business days from the application deadline
date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application
Control Center at (202) 245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition are
from 34 CFR 75.210 of EDGAR. The maximum score for all the selection
criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is
indicated in parentheses. Each criterion also includes the factors that
the reviewers will consider in determining how well an application
meets the criterion. The Note following selection criterion (g) is
guidance to help applicants in preparing their applications, and is not
required by statute or regulations.
The selection criteria are:
(a) Need for project (10 points). The Secretary considers the need
for the proposed project. In determining the need for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the proposed
project will provide services or otherwise address the needs of
students at risk of educational failure.
(b) Quality of the project design (20 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In
determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the
Secretary considers--
(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable;
(2) The extent to which the proposed project represents an
exceptional approach for meeting statutory purposes and requirements;
and
(3) The extent to which the proposed project will be coordinated
with similar or related efforts, and with other appropriate community,
State, and Federal resources.
(c) Quality of project services (15 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the services to be provided by the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. The Secretary also considers--
(1) The likely impact of the services to be provided by the
proposed project on the intended recipients of those services; and
(2) The extent to which the technical assistance services to be
provided by the proposed project involve the use of efficient
strategies, including the use of technology, as appropriate, and the
leveraging of non-project resources.
(d) Quality of project personnel (15 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the personnel who will carry out the proposed
project. In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary
considers the extent to which the applicant encourages applications for
employment from persons who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. The Secretary also considers--
(1) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel; and
(2) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of project consultants or subcontractors.
(e) Adequacy of resources (10 points). The Secretary considers the
adequacy of resources for the proposed project. In determining the
adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers--
(1) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,
supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the
lead applicant organization; and
(2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the
number of persons to be served and to the anticipated results and
benefits.
(f) Quality of the management plan (10 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project.
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the management plan to
achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within
budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and
milestones for accomplishing project tasks.
(g) Quality of the project evaluation (20 points). The Secretary
considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed
project. In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary
considers--
(1) The extent to which the methods of evaluation include the use
of objective performance measures that are clearly related to the
intended outcomes
[[Page 5036]]
of the project and will produce quantitative and qualitative data to
the extent possible; and
(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will provide
performance feedback and permit periodic assessment of progress toward
achieving intended outcomes.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we will notify
your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a
final performance report, including financial information, as directed
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an
annual performance report that provides the most current performance
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in
34 CFR 75.118. For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please
go to the ED Performance Report Form 524B at http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html
.
4. Performance Measures: We have established three performance
indicators for the PIRC program. These performance indicators are: (1)
The number of parents who are participating in PIRC activities designed
to provide them with the information necessary to understand their
State accountability systems and the rights and opportunities for
supplemental services and public school choice afforded to their
children under section 1116 of the ESEA; (2) the percentage of
customers (parents, educators in State and local educational agencies,
and other audiences) reporting that PIRC services are of high quality;
and (3) the percentage of customers reporting that PIRC services are
highly useful to them.
The Department intends to collect data for the first indicator
through annual performance reports and to collect data for the second
and third indicators through a customer satisfaction survey.
VII. Agency Contact
For Further Information Contact: Steven L. Brockhouse, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4W229, FB6,
Washington, DC 20202-5961. Telephone: (202) 260-2476 or by e-mail:
steve.brockhouse@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this
section.
VIII. Other Information
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
Dated: January 30, 2007.
Morgan S. Brown,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement.
[FR Doc. E7-1743 Filed 2-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P